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WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS APPARATUS FINALS, DAY 1 MELBOURNE 2005

SECOND WORLD’S BRONZE MEDAL FOR BETH AS NASTIA WINS WORLD TITLE ON BARS!

WOMEN’S A BARS FINALS 2005

NASTIA CLAIMS HER FIRST WORLD TITLE AS BETH COLLECTS HER SECOND BRONZE AT WORLD’S!

An emotional day for the gymnasts as their challenge for World Individual Apparatus Titles reached it’s peak. Who would win the 4 Women’s Titles and could Beth create British Gymnastic’s history by repeating her medal success in Anaheim where she won Bronze on her favourite apparatus?

Fan Ye ( China ) - Qualified with a score of 9.475 and a World Cup medalist on Bars. She hit a good opening routine with full in back out dismount but took a hop forwards on her landing to score 9.475.

Chellsie Memmel ( USA ) -  The defending joint World Champion on Bars where she tied with Holly Vise in Anahei, Chellsie came into the Finals with qualifying score of 9.55. She performed a very original routine with lots of transitions from bar to bar which included a huge clear hip to Tchatchev. Good high double front dismount to score 9.587 and throw down the challenge for others to beat.

Isabelle Severino ( France ) - Tried hop full on to a def but missed and fell off the bars. Sadly nerves began to show and Isabelle made another serious error as she fell off the low bar as her hand came off in a disappointing performance in a World Final and a score of 6.787.

Polina Miller ( Russia ) - Her debut in a World Championships and a terrific routine which included a nice Yaegar, and toe on to Katchev with beautiful pirouettes to score 9.462.

Nastia Liukin ( USA ) - Another debutant in an Individual World Apparatus Final but what expectation from the crowd and the watching millions around the World as Nastia stepped up to Bars! She produced an aggressive, assertive routine determined to land Gold with great clean lines and stuck her double layout landing to huge cheers from the audience and move into first position with a fantastic score of 9.862! The highest in the Championships so far.

Beth Tweddle ( Great Britain ) - What a moment for Beth and our hearts were in our mouths as she stepped up! Could she beat Liukin and become the new World Champion on her favourite Apparatus? Beth is the only gymnast in the World to produce 2 realease moves in a row and 4 release moves in total, but just missed quite hitting her handstand a couple of times. Beth could not quite match the quality of Liukin and Memmel on the day, and the judges awarded her 9.575 to move into bronze medal position, and a historic second World Championships medal for Great Britain! Congratulations to Beth on a superb performance, we’ve only just got our voices back after cheering so loudly!

Mayu Kurocha ( Japan ) - A proud moment for the whole of Japan as Kurocha became the first Japanese female to qualify for a Women’s Final since 1989, and she hit a good clean  routine sticking the double front dismount for a 9.525 and 4th place.   

Monette Russo ( Australia ) - The opening Individual Apparatus Final for Monette who qualified with a score of 9.440. She produced a good routine but some short handstands for a final score of 9.412 and a 7th place.

WOMEN’S VAULT FINALS 2005

CHENG FEI NEW WORLD CHAMPION AS OXANA GRABS SILVER IN HER 8TH WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS!

Cheng Fei won the World Championships Vault Title and her new Vault will now be officially named after her, as veteran Oxana Chussovitina celebrated a Silver medal in her 8th World Championships!

Olga Sherbatykh ( Ukraine ) - The National Ukranian Champion on Vault qualified in 7th place. First Vault - Round off, half on, layout half off with a 9.8 start value. Stuck the landing and scored 9.212. Second vault - Double twisting Yurchenko with 9.8 SV and again scored 9.212.

Elena Zamolodchikova ( Russia ) - The two time World and Olympic Champion on Vault. First vault double twisting Yurchenko but took a hop on landing and scored 9.287. Her second vault was Tsukuhara double twist for a 9.318 overall but not the best vaults we have seen from Zamo.

Joanna Skowronska ( Poland ) - First vault one and a half twisting Yurchenko but landed heavily on her left side which caused her to go outside the tram lines. Start Value 9.7 and a score of 9.15. Second Vault Round off half on, front pike half off with a good landing to score 9.162 from a SV of 9.7.

Alicia Sacramone ( USA ) - First vault double twisting Yurchenko, good vault but did not stick her landing as Alicia scored 9.387. Second Vault Handspring Rudi with a stuck landing for a 9.412 from a 9.9 SV.

Oxana Chussovitina ( UZB ) - An amazing performance from the veteran Oxana in her 8th World Championships and still performing at World Championship Finals Level at 30 years of age. First vault, handspring Rudi to score 9.437. Second vault Tsukahara with one a half twists, good vault but a hop on the landing but good enough for a Silver Medal!

Cheng Fei  ( China ) - The only gymnast in the Competition with 2 10.00 start value vaults and the most eagerly awaited performance after the qualifying rounds as Cheng produced 2 new vaults at the World Championships. First vault, Yurchenko with two and a half twists, beautiful vault with a perfect landing and a score of 9.725. Second vault, round off half on, Rudi off for another great score of 9.562 and become new World Champion on Vault!

 Anna Pavlova ( Russia ) - First vault double twisting Yurchenko with a SV of 9.8 and a score of 9.25. Her second vault Yurchenko half on, front layout, half off.

 Imogen Cairns ( Great Britain ) - What a moment for Imogen and the GB fans as she qualified for the Vault Final in her World Championships debut. First vault one a half Yurchenko but a big deduction for her landing and a score of 9.012. Second vault round off, full twist on, pike off and a score of       8.956 and 8th place in a World Final. Congratulations to Imogen on a fantastic performance.

World Championships reports by Natasha Summerfield.